Two Wrongs
by Aleia15
Summary: There was nothing to say, that case had not been his most shining moment, but it was done and dealt with. His cheek still throbbed with Apollos' punch. Phoenix/Miles


**Two wrongs**

"I expect you to feel really proud of yourself, don't you Wright?"

Miles Edgeworth was already waiting for him at home when they came back from the Court House, his expression tight and disapproving, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Phoenix sighed, the news really travelled fast lately.

"Trucy, love, why don't you go to your room for a while?" he said turning to the girl standing by his side looking from one to the other with a resigned face.

"Are you going to have a fight, Papa?" she asked.

Phoenix looked at Edgeworth's face and saw the answer there. There was going to be no avoiding it.

"I think so."

"In that case I'll go to a friend's house and spend the night there, do you mind? You get very noisy after your fights," she said going inside her room. Phoenix and Edgeworth waited for her to come out, both staring silently at the other one.

She kissed both of them before leaving, a bag with a change of clothes in her hand.

"Don't you have anything to say in your defence, Wright?" Edgeworth said the second the door closed.

Phoenix shook his head, shrugging. There was nothing to say, that case had not been his most shining moment, but it was done and dealt with. His cheek still throbbed with Apollos' punch.

"If you intend to chew my head off for that," he said wearily, "why don't we move this to the living room so at least we can sit comfortably?"

Edgeworth glared silently and nodded, just once, before pushing off the wall and walking toward the living room, his back ramrod straight, all his posture radiating menace and anger. Phoenix had not seen him like this since the time he lost his badge, at least then that cold fury was not directed at him.

Edgeworth could be scary when he was seriously upset.

"So?" he said when they were sitting down.

Phoenix rolled his eyes. He was also quite persistent. "Look Edgeworth, I did what I had to do."

"What you had to do," Edgeworth repeated slowly as if tasting the words. "Yes, I can see that." Oh, the sarcasm was back, that was never a good sign. "Yes, cheating in a trial, a murder trial I have to add in which you were the defendant, and presenting false evidence, not to mention risking your lawyer's badge in the process, is one of those choices in life difficult to avoid. Right?"

"Gavin was going to walk," he said quietly, knowing it was no excuse but it was the only one he had.

Edgeworth nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I know. But that doesn't give you the right to pull that kind of stunt. What if it hadn't worked? You would be facing the Death Penalty and that rookie would have lost his badge for you."

And that was the problem, he could see it now. Edgeworth was scared, had been terrified for him. He had a curious way of showing it, though.

"I knew it was going to work," he said confidently, trying to reassure him. It had the opposite effect.

Edgeworth narrowed his eyes, glaring daggers at him. "Really? You knew it was going to work? So, you knew you could use dirty tricks without getting caught and suddenly everything is fine? What makes you different from Von Karma or even Gavin then?" He asked his voice silky and very serious.

Phoenix shook his head. "You don't understand it, Edgeworth."

"No, I don't," Edgeworth admitted, "what I do understand is that you don't seem to be the person I respected and fell in love with. This--this sad excuse of a man--is everything you used to hate. What happened to you, Phoenix?"

It was the use of his given name what clued him in the seriousness of the situation. Up till that moment Edgeworth had been angry and cold, but that was nothing new. They had fights every now and again and they always resolved them. And always, always he would be Wright, as if Edgeworth was distancing him from his anger. Not this time, though.

"What do you mean, Edgeworth?" He asked panicked. That didn't sound good.

Edgeworth stood from the couch, looking at him with a mix of sadness and irritation. "Had I done something like that all those years ago, you would have been over me in an instant, all judgmental idealism and disappointed expectations. _That_ was the man I allowed myself to fall for." He took a deep breath visibly steeling himself for what he was going to say next. Phoenix wanted to run away, to never hear when he was sure could be the last thing Edgeworth said to him. "The way you are now--ever since they took your badge you have changed, you've become bitter and a bit twisted. And I stood by your side because I though it wasn't your fault, I believed you were still the same person, that in the end, with or without your beloved badge, you were an idealist looking for the truth."

Phoenix shook his head. "No, Edgeworth--Miles, listen to me--"

"No," Edgeworth interrupted him. "I'm done listening to you. You've proved, beyond the shadow of a doubt, what kind of person you have become. And I can't be with that person, I don't want to."

He moved to the door, intent on leaving. Phoenix was off the couch and cutting off his escape route in a second, "Listen to me, Miles," he said; his voice serious and not a little panicked. He had to make Edgeworth listen. "That's only part of what happened--you don't know everything, there is more."

"What else? What excuses can you find now, Phoenix?" Edgeworth asked tiredly looking at him with a disbelieving expression.

"You can't leave like this, can't leave _me_ like this," Phoenix insisted, "not knowing everything--just give me a couple more weeks and you'll see."

Edgeworth shook his head. "I've had enough."

"No, I know you still love me, Miles--you have to wait," Phoenix said with a confidence he was far from feeling. Nothing was certain when dealing with Miles Edgeworth, and he knew from previous experience something like his own feelings were not going to matter when Edgeworth made up his mind about something.

"I might love you, but I don't like you. Not anymore."

Phoenix closed his eyes tightly, wounded. He had known Edgeworth didn't approve of what he'd become and what he'd been forced to do with his life, but he didn't know the riff was so serious or he would have done something sooner. Right, it was time to bring out the big guns.

Phoenix took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking at Edgeworth. "There is something you should know before you leave, Miles. Everything I've done is to set the stage for a bigger game, something I've been working on for a long time. Gavin forced my hand, but the preparations are almost complete."

Edgeworth narrowed his eyes, studying him. "What for?" He finally asked and Phoenix bit back a sigh of relief, not everything was lost.

He shook his head. "I can't tell you, not yet," he amended seeing Edgeworth stiffening. "Suffice to say the man Gavin killed wasn't just an innocent bystander and that he wasn't the first one either."

Edgeworth nodded, still keeping his distance from Phoenix but at least not trying to run away anymore. Phoenix risked a step toward him and almost smiled seeing how Edgeworth battled against himself trying to decide if he should let him get close or if he should back away.

"I can't," he finally said shaking his head. He side stepped Phoenix and opened the door.

Phoenix watched him leave, frozen. He would have not been able to move if his life depended on it, the breath stuck on his throat, his eyes stinging.

He had really screwed it this time.

…

Phoenix spent the remainder of the evening sitting on the couch, mind blank, eyes fixed on the door as if willing it to open.

It didn't.

…

The night was the longest Phoenix could remember. Every time he closed his eyes the scene would replay in his mind: Edgeworth's disappointed face when he left, his voice saying _I might love you, but I don't like you_, the final click of the door when it closed.

He refused to believe it meant the end of their relationship; there must be something he could do to redeem himself.

He had no pride left, not after what he did at the trial, so begging was not a problem. If only Edgeworth would be moved by that. He wouldn't, Phoenix knew him well enough.

He would need more than that.

It took him a while to realise what it was, and when he did he cursed himself for a fool.

Phoenix went to his bedroom and opened the wardrobe, his old suit still there clean and ironed. Just waiting for him to gather the courage t put it on again. He took it out and put it on top of the bed, moving to the bathroom next.

The shower helped clear his mind, the hot water making him feel slightly human again. The razor took care of making him look the part as well, at least more like a decent human being than he had become used to.

Putting on his suit felt strange but not as much as he had feared. It actually felt right, like returning home after a long trip. He didn't have a badge to pin to the lapel but that was fine, he didn't need it, not anymore.

Taking a deep breath Phoenix looked at his reflection in the mirror for the last time and picked a folder from one of the drawers. He was ready.

…

"I need to speak with Miles Edgeworth," he said to the secretary blocking his path to Miles' office.

She looked him up and down, recognizing him from his many visits before and after, but still didn't let him pass. "Is he expecting you?"

"No, but he will want to see me," Phoenix insisted.

"He's asked _you_ not to be let in," she said finally and Phoenix sighed. He had feared that might be the case. "Look, I don't know what's going on between you," she continued, looking him up and down, "but he's bound to get over his huff in a few days. He's in a really bad mood now, maybe it's a good idea to wait."

Phoenix shook his head, "If it was so simple!"

"That bad, huh?" she asked sympathetically. "We'll he can't be angry forever--actually, scratch that _he_ can be angry forever. Good luck, Mr. Wright. I'm glad to see you back to your old self. I can't let you in, but I think I've run out of coffee and have to go get more from the kitchen supplies like now--"

She smiled at him on her way to the lift.

…

"Janice, I've told you I don't--"Edgeworth looked up from the file in his hands, his brows furrowed in a scowl. His eyes widened microscopically seeing Phoenix there and taking stock of his appearance, only to narrow immediately. "What are you doing here, Wright?"

Phoenix rolled his eyes. Saying Edgeworth was not in the mood had been an understatement. "We have to talk."

"I have nothing else to say to you," Edgeworth insisted, crossing his arms defensively in front of his chest.

"Then I'll do the talking." Phoenix closed the door and walked to one of the free chairs in front of Edgeworth's desk, sitting down.

"I've heard enough from you as well, Wright. Do you think washing and shaving and changing your clothes is going to make any difference at this stage? I'm not that shallow."

Stubborn prick.

"I know you're angry, Edgeworth," he began.

"Not angry, disappointed is more like it and there is nothing you can do to change that--not anymore," Edgeworth interrupted him. "You've had your chances and wasted them; I don't want to go through this again."

Phoenix nodded. He had known it wouldn't be so easy so he was ready for it; changing back to the one he used to be only took him as far as the door, now he had to make sure he wasn't chucked out on his ear.

"Edgeworth," he tried again, only to be interrupted again.

"I said no, Wright. Can't you get it through your thick head that it's over?" Edgeworth said raising his voice, his eyes narrowed to slits.

Phoenix lost it. "Shut it, Miles!" He shouted, startling Edgeworth into silence. He's have time later to regret it if it didn't work, but he'd had enough of it for now. He dumped the folder he was carrying on top of the desk. "You had your say, now I'll have mine. This is not over, not yet. Read that and come find me when you finish it if you're still willing to give it a try." He took a deep breath, calming down. "Please, read it."

He got up and left the office before Edgeworth had a chance to react.

Now everything depended on Edgeworth, the only thing for him to do was wait.

…

Waiting was not easy for Phoenix. He knew enough of Edgeworth to know he wouldn't have an answer immediately. Two days, maybe three for him to dwell on it and think about what he'd done.

He had not expected it to be a whole week before Edgeworth deigned to appear before him again.

Phoenix had all but gave up, thinking Edgeworth might have been angrier than he first considered, wondering if he should look for him again and beg to be given another chance.

Luckily he was spared that.

Edgeworth was already waiting for him home when he arrived after leaving Trucy with a group of friends, the folder on the desk in front of him.

"A change in the system, Wright? Isn't that a bit overambitious on your part?" Edgeworth said as a way of greeting.

Phoenix froze at the door, unable to believe his eyes. Edgeworth was really there and he was smiling.

"Yes," he said, his mouth moving in autopilot, his brain still unable to register the reality of his presence there.

"I still don't approve for your methods, but I can understand why you needed to take extreme measures." Edgeworth said standing up from the couch; Phoenix managed to get some control over his frozen limbs and took a step toward him.

"Gavin would have destroyed everything if I was convicted."

"I know."

"But I have to admit I enjoyed it, maybe more than I should have," Phoenix continued advancing.

Edgeworth looked at him with an arched brow. "I do know that."

They stared at each other in silence for a instant. "Will you give me another chance, then?" Phoenix asked taking another step.

Edgeworth nodded, almost reluctantly. "Just one, Phoenix. Don't disappoint me again."

All the tension left his body in a rush of relief and Phoenix needed to use all his willpower to remain upright, not to collapse bonelessly on the floor. Instead, he closed the distance between them in an instant, backing Edgeworth against the couch and forcing him down, pinning him there with his body.

"Don't ever scare me like this Miles," he whispered against his mouth before taking it in a kiss.

Edgeworth stood stock still for a second before giving in and returning the kiss with a desperation mirroring Phoenix', his hands coming up immediately to bury themselves in his spikes, pressing Phoenix more tightly against his body, lips mashed together, teeth clashing.

A moan worked its way out of Phoenix' throat only to be swallowed by Miles', hands moving again and pulling at clothes, unbuttoning his jacket and trying to divest him of it without breaking the kiss.

Phoenix wasn't idle either, unbuttoning Miles' shirt and undressing him without care or concern for the fabric, just wanting to reach as much skin as possible, the sooner the better.

He pulled away when air became a necessity, clamping his mouth on the pale neck exposed to him and biting gently. Miles arched up, a groan falling from his lips and inflaming him even more.

And still Phoenix needed more, needed to be even closer--just thinking about what he could have lost, about how close it had come to losing this made him feel desperate to touch Miles, to taste him and be inside him. He needed to reassure himself of the reality of his presence there, and didn't know of a better way than making love to him.

"Bed," Miles gasped pulling at Phoenix' hair.

_Too far_, he thought ignoring him and getting rid of the last obstacle. He pushed Miles down, stretching on the couch and covering him with his body, the pleasure of all that skin against him almost too much in his current state.

"Phoenix," Mikes tried again only to be silence by another of those searing kissed, his legs twinning around Phoenix and anchoring him there belying his intended words.

"I need--" Phoenix mumbled against his mouth, trying to express what he wanted but reluctant to tear his mouth away from Miles'.

He seemed to understand, though. Miles opened his thighs and let Phoenix settle against him. Phoenix looked up, realization of what they were missing hitting him then. He didn't want to move away from Miles, but he needed to prepare him. With a sigh, he stood up and rushed to the bathroom, returning in record time.

Miles was sprawled on the couch, legs spread and face flushed, one of his hands around his erection, touching it lightly. Phoenix felt his mouth gaping open at the sight, his own arousal painful.

Without a thought he crossed the distance between them and removed Miles' hand from his cock, replacing it with his mouth while he covered his fingers with the lotion and prepared him.

"Oh, Phoenix," Miles' moaned arching up.

It took forever to prepare him, or at least it felt like it to Phoenix in his impatience for being inside him already. But he didn't want to hurt him, slowly he stretched him, his mouth moving up and down Miles' cock at the same pace, his moans and gasps threatening to make him come even before he could enter him.

"Now Phoenix," Miles pleaded and he was more than happy to oblige.

He positioned himself, entering him gently and slowly, his eyes screwed shut in concentration. Miles' pulled his head down and kissed him, arms embracing him tightly and clinging to him like a lifeline. They moved together, Phoenix building up the pace and Miles matching him thrust for thrust, his nails digging painfully on Phoenix' back.

"Don't ever leave me, Miles," he mumbled incoherently against his mouth, their previous fight still fresh in his mind.

"No," Miles replied, his breath coming in short gasps.

They came almost at the same time; Phoenix stiffening inside Miles and feeling him contract around his cock. They stayed entwined in the same position for a long time, trying to catch their breath and unwilling to let the other go.

Finally Miles moved, pushing Phoenix off him gently.

"This doesn't change a thing, Phoenix," he said, his serious expression completely out of place.

"I know."

"Last chance, remember."

Phoenix nodded, leaning closer to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "Trust me, you wont' regret it."

Miles curled up against his body, his eyes closing. "See that I don't," he mumbled sleepily, but he was smiling slightly. Phoenix kissed him again.

He had no intention to lose this, whatever the cost.

…


End file.
